Canadian women make gender equality statement by wearing purple in loss to U.S. at SheBelieves Cup

The Canadian women's soccer team arrived at Exploria Stadium wearing purple, a colour associated with gender equality, for its opening game against the U.S. at the SheBelieves Cup on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.

Forward Jordyn Huitema led the team in with all the players wearing the same purple T-shirt. The women, currently embroiled in a labour dispute with their governing body, taped over the Canada Soccer logo on their backpacks.

They walked out before the game wearing purple T-shirts etched with the words "Enough is Enough" and kept them on for the anthems, maintaining the purple theme during the game via tape on their wrists.

As they did at practice Wednesday, the women wore their warmups tops inside-out to hide the Canada Soccer crest as they warmed up before the game.

The emotional turmoil took its toll. And the U.S. took advantage.

Struggling to find their focus, the Canadian women were ambushed early in a 2-0 loss at the SheBelieves Cup.

WATCH | Canada falls to U.S. at SheBelieves Cup:

Mallory Swanson scored in the seventh and 34th minute as the top-ranked Americans came out hot and had their way with a ragged Canada.

The sixth-ranked Canadians found some semblance of rhythm midway through the half only to gift Swanson her second goal with a defensive gaffe. There was little drama in the second half with only some wasteful American finishing keeping the score down before an announced crowd of 14,697.

Canada captain Christine Sinclair said given the backdrop to the game, it could have gone two ways.

"Either we're fighting for everything and come out on fire or we come out flat. And I think you saw those first 10, 15 minutes, we came out flat," she said. "I think we looked like a team that was tired, a team that's mentally exhausted, coming up against a team, I mean, they're defending World Cup champions for a reason and you have to be at your best to compete with them. And we weren't tonight."

The Canadian women announced last Friday they would not train or play until their grievances were addressed. They boycotted training the next day and had to be forced back on the field under threat of legal action by Canada Soccer.

"I couldn't fault their effort," said Canada coach Bev Priestman. "You could just see a flatness to them."

Before Thursday's kickoff, both teams gathered at the centre circle — Americans next to Canadians — and then closed ranks, turning the circle into a heart shape in a show of solidarity.